


Different, but the Same

by PizzaHorse



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Child Loss, Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaHorse/pseuds/PizzaHorse
Summary: The people we meet, the people we lose, and the bonds we form in the aftermath are not always with who we expect.
Relationships: Queen Arianna of Corona & Cassandra (Disney)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 79





	Different, but the Same

The dark of night had long since blanketed the kingdom of Corona, stars and moonlight illuminating the solid stone walls of the castle. A few castle staff and guards tending to necessary duties were the only few who were still awake. Or so one would think.

Like most recent nights, Queen Arianna awoke, restless. She glanced sorrowfully at the empty bassinet, still stationed dutifully in its place, the same as it was on that awful night. The hope was that the babe might be returned safe and sound, if her kidnapper had second thoughts. There had been a promise issued to the kingdom, no questions asked and no punishment for anyone who assured her safe return. So, the king and queen did their best to stay optimistic that they might one day see their dear Rapunzel again.

She slowly drew back the covers, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment. How many sleepless nights would she spend, waiting for her daughter to come home? How many times would her stomach twist itself into knots at the thought of someone sneaking into their bedchamber and taking her little one, while she and Fred slept peacefully just a few feet away.

But tonight, there was another feeling. One that compelled her to leave the comfort of her bed and her husband and venture into the halls of her residence. She donned a pair of slippers, briefly allowing herself a last longing look at the empty bed of her baby.

A nod to the guards at the door was all she could muster. They were familiar with the greeting, having grown used to seeing the queen (and occasionally the king) up at all hours as of late. They understood the delicacy of the situation, and the need to give the royals their space in this distressing time. There was nothing anyone could say to improve the situation, so solemn silence was the next best thing.

Arianna followed the gentle tug of her instinct, letting it lead her on an unknown path. Nightly walks to clear her head were not uncommon, but this time felt different. This time, there was a silent call, something that pressed and urged her in specific directions, down specific halls, until she heard a quiet sound piercing the air of the near-silent castle.

The sound was faint, but clear, of someone sniffling: a child. Her heart leapt and plummeted in the same second as it registered, but she quickly realized the whimpering did not match the tone of a babe. More pronounced, less fussy, was the crying.

It took her a moment to locate its source, from beneath one of the many tables lining the hall, hidden by a covering that reached to the floor. She bent down, tentatively lifting the tablecloth, to reveal a small dark-haired child. The one from the forest that the soldiers had rescued weeks before. The same night that-

Arianna swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't ready for this. But the pull made sense now. Still fresh motherly instinct had drawn her near, to come to the aid of this little one. Rapunzel could not even roll over when she was taken. Yet now, Arianna was faced with a child far older than she was prepared to handle.

She could get someone else- a guard or a maid or a servant- to come and fetch her and help her back to bed. But she couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone in such a state. She had heard the cry, or felt it at least, from far off in her bed. That had to mean something, too. Like maybe there was a reason they were supposed to be brought together on this night.

"Hi," she gave a slight wave and as much of a smile as she could gather.

The youngling looked up, scrubbing furiously at her eyes, sniffling loudly. She pressed her back into the wall, shoulder pinned against a table leg. Her knees were curled up to her chest, as if she was trying to make herself small enough so as to appear invisible.

"May I join you?" Arianna prompted.

The girl gave no indication that the question had been heard, instead opting to bury her face behind folded arms.

Arianna looked around for anyone that might be able to help, but it appeared that they were alone. It wasn't very becoming of the queen to be crawling under tables, but it wasn't as if there was anyone to see her at whatever ungodly hour of the night it currently was.

She settled down next to her, mimicking her position and pulling her legs to her chest. She left space between them, hoping it would help her feel more at ease. Arianna wished she knew more about her, but it wasn't as if anyone else did.

She'd been temporarily adopted by the whole of the guard, while they found her a more permanent family. Word traveled fast among them, and Arianna had caught a whisper or two during shift change, when one would pass along any news to the other. They hadn't been able to find out much about her or her life, and she wasn't exactly keen on holding a conversation with strangers. But they fed her, gave her fresh clothes, and patiently waited for whenever she might come around.

"This is… cozy," Arianna looked around the tent-like structure. When there was no acknowledgement from the child, she tried again. "It's Cassandra, right?" she waited. There was nothing else to do but to hope that something she said might break through her aloof exterior.

Finally, a response from the youngster, as she lifted her head and nodded.

"I'm Arianna," she considered offering a hand for her to shake, but Cassandra didn't seem to be in the mood for contact yet, so she refrained. She let out a long, slow breath, running her fingers through her hair as she contemplated what else she should say. Her experience with children overall was limited. Sure, she'd had interactions with the offspring of her subjects, but they were usually brief and most of the time they weren't crying.

"Isn't it a bit late to be out of bed?"

A shrug.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

She shook her head.

"Would you like to tell me why you're hiding?"

Cassandra sniffed, looking skeptically at this stranger. They'd met, once before, when she'd first arrived. Although "met" was a bit of a stretch. They'd glimpsed each other, as one guard passed her off to another so he could speak with the king and queen. Since then, she'd mostly kept to herself and the room she'd been allowed to stay in.

"I got lost."

"Lost? Trying to find your room?"

"Mm-mm," she shook her head.

"The kitchen, then? Did you want a snack?"

"No."

"Where were you trying to go, then?" Arianna finally asked, out of ideas.

Cassandra looked away, suddenly clamming up. Arianna inwardly groaned. This was _hard_. It wasn't so much the lack of conversation. More so the history they shared. She had lost her own daughter, and the captain of the guard had unexpectedly brought home a different child that same evening. From the report, she'd belonged to the same person who had taken Rapunzel. Though whether their relation was biological or she was another victim of a kidnapping, no one was sure.

But she'd left, galloping into the night, seemingly deeming the baby with golden hair to be more valuable than the daughter she'd raised. How _despicable_. The guards could not very well leave her alone, regardless of whether or not her mother had any plans to return. _Mother_. She was hardly fit to be called a mother if she was in the habit of abducting helpless children.

Even though the arrival of this young one was mixed up in the night that brought her and Fred indescribable grief, Arianna did not make the mistake of equating the wrongdoings of that women with Cassandra. And she wasn't going to give up that easy on trying to get her to open up.

"It's alright. You can tell me," she prompted.

Cassandra shifted, slightly, stretching out her legs away from the queen, and grabbing two fistfulls of her dress as she stared down at her knuckles.

"I want to go _home_."

"Oh, sweetheart-"

The mere suggestion nearly broke her resolve. Too young was she to understand the implications of what her mother had done. Too small and inexperienced to recognize the type of person she was. Too innocent and fresh in the world to foresee how damaging a life with her might have been.

Their plights were similar. Different, but the same.

The same night had their lives been torn apart. Different things were lost to each. Arianna, missing a child; Cassandra, missing a mother. Neither able to find solace in their current circumstances. Arianna, rescued from the brink of death, only to lose her heart. Cassandra, rescued from the clutches of a vile woman, only to lose the only life she'd ever known. Both grieving, for differing reasons, yet both dealing with loss just the same.

"-come here," she mirrored Cassandra's position, extending her legs and making her lap available. She held out her arms, hoping her invitation would be accepted. How was she supposed to respond? Tell her that her mother was a bad person? Attempt to explain that sometimes the people we love can hurt us? Make an excuse for why she couldn't return? Lie and say that someday she might be able to go back?

Her frantic scrambling for the right thing to say was interrupted by the girl _thump_ -ing against her chest. She clutched, desperately, at the fabric of Arianna's nightgown, as she buried her face and sobbed.

"Shh shh shh, you're safe, little one," Arianna cooed, gently running her fingers through Cassandra's hair. She held her close, wrapping her in the safety of her arms. She hoped it was the right thing to do. She allowed her instinct, the same kind that had mysteriously led her here, to guide her actions.

She didn't know how long they sat together, a scared and lonely child and a mourning queen. Only when her eyes felt heavy did she realize the child had gone quiet. She examined her, quickly concluding that she had fallen asleep in her lap. The two of them couldn't very well stay here all night, so Arianna attempted to extract them from under the table.

She crept out, one arm still held protectively around Cassandra, clumsily using the other to grab onto the table to help pull her into a standing position. Arianna took a moment to catch her breath as she hitched Cassandra up in her arms and readjusted her hold, praying that the jostle wouldn't wake her.

It didn't take long for her to find a guard and acquire directions to the child's room, after a very quizzical look and an offer to take the child himself. But this was Arianna's task, and she was going to see it through. Somehow, she managed to get her into bed and under covers with naught but a few faint murmurs. Perhaps she was good at this, after all.

She looked down at this child, still so timid and apprehensive. An image of Rapunzel flashed before her for a mere second, and she bit down on her knuckle to stifle a sob. This was not her daughter. She would never replace Rapunzel. But she needed someone, now. They both did. Neither of their lives could go back to how they were. They would never be the same.

They both needed someone. So maybe, in the meantime, while their lives were still turned upside down, they could lean on each other for comfort. A bittersweet connection, one born of mutual loss, and necessity. The necessity to find a lifeline, something, some _one_ to help them stay grounded and keep their heads above the metaphorical water. For now, anyway.

Cassandra would find a stable home when things settled down, once the princess was returned safe and sound. Arianna had to cling to the hope that she would be.

Maybe it would help, at least. Cassandra, with someone to look after her for the time being. Perhaps not to replace her mother, but to show her what a mother should be. And Arianna, with someone to tend to while the guards continued their search.

The understanding was mutual, that neither could replace what the other had lost, nor would they want to. But the knowing might help. Knowing that the other was there, dealing with their own grief. Knowing they were both struggling to believe everything would be okay. Fighting for a reason to go on.

Distinctly different, but the same.


End file.
